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Cleaning the dust off your sensor

General photography tips that aren't camera-dependent. Composition, color theory, etc.

Cleaning the dust off your sensor

Postby DLebar04 » Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:50 am

So after coming home and checking the pictures from our Urban Outing today, I saw that I had a couple specs on my photos of the blue sky.

I used this site to get a 100% blue background: http://www.pbase.com/copperhill/image/95174363

After I noticed that I had quite a few specs of dust, I researched a little bit and decided to try and blow off the dust first. I had a little device at home that looked like the "Hurricane Blower" everyone talked about, so I tried that. Even though it removed a lot of the dust, I was still left with this: http://i40.tinypic.com/2nkhp5c.jpg

So this is my question: What should I do next? The only really visible dust particle on the actual sensor is the top right (as seen on the picture above).
I read about using the "Cooper Hill" method, and that seems to work fine, but I also read a few people that scratched/damaged the sensor by doing so.

What do you guys and gals use/recommend?
-Dalton

Gear: Canon XTi / EF 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 USM IS / EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS / EF 50mm 1.8 / 430EX & crappy little tripod
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Re: Cleaning the dust off your sensor

Postby Warren » Sun Jan 18, 2009 4:51 pm

Is that on your lowest ISO setting?

Also, you can't scratch your filter. The thing you see in your body is an IR filter, which covers your filter. You can scratch that, but it is replaceable with labor for under $100, so the stakes aren't as high as everyone makes them out to be.

Here're some guides:
http://www.ultimateslr.com/clean-image-sensor.php
Warren ● wvannus@gatech.eduflickr

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Re: Cleaning the dust off your sensor

Postby DLebar04 » Sun Jan 18, 2009 7:46 pm

Thanks for the link Warren.

The picture I linked above was at ISO 100, F22. I took it did an auto level on PS.

I guess I should have mentioned that I have a canon XTi.
-Dalton

Gear: Canon XTi / EF 28-135mm 3.5-5.6 USM IS / EF-S 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 IS / EF 50mm 1.8 / 430EX & crappy little tripod
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DLebar04
 
Posts: 13
Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2009 5:51 pm


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